After a year of gun violence that exploded in Toronto neighbourhoods, the city is set to mark its first increase in shooting deaths in three years. The number of murders has inched past last year’s total.

Of all those killed, 43 were male and 11 were female. The crimes were committed on leafy suburban streets, inside family homes and crowded public places. Eighteen of the dead were younger than 25.

The most violent months were July and October, with seven homicides each, including the Danzig St. backyard party shooting and the stabbing of Nighisti Semret in a Cabbagetown laneway, where dozens of community members would later rally to light candles and say prayers.

Franklin, known as “Wizzle,” became the city’s first death when he was shot near Hupfield Park, in the Finch Ave. E. and Neilson Rd. area of Malvern, around 4:30 a.m. New Year’s Day.

On the other side of the Don Valley Parkway, nearly 30 kilometres away, a yet-to-be indentified male would be the city’s last death of 2012. He was found stabbed in an apartment near Sherbourne St. and Earl St. in St. James Town on Dec. 20. He died of his injuries in hospital.

Through it all, Police Chief Bill Blair has repeatedly assured residents that Toronto is a safe city, including in a recent year-end interview and reports that point to an overall 10 per cent decrease in major crime.

“The long-term trends in Toronto show that violence is down steadily, the number of homicides is down, the number of gun homicides is down,” said police spokesperson Mark Pugash. “I think it’s unwise to draw any conclusions based on the fact that the number of gun homicides this year (is) slightly higher than last year.”

Pugash also noted that the number of overall shooting occurrences is down 5.4 per cent from 2011.

Anthony Doob, a professor of criminology at the University of Toronto, said despite some “unusual” incidents that captured public attention, Toronto was on track to see an average year in homicides. He said that, looking at long-term trends, the numbers show “relative stability.”

Across other regions in the GTA, there has been a marked decrease in homicides.

Peel Region saw 12 homicides in 2012, down from 17 in 2011.

In Halton Region, there were only two homicides — Oakville mom Katherine Newman, 43, who was killed by her estranged husband before he was gunned down by police in a standoff, and a 6-year-old Milton boy, Noah Kosalka, who was killed by his father in a tragic murder-suicide in September.

Last year marked the lowest rate of murders committed with firearms in Canada in 50 years, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.

In 2011, 158 homicides were committed with a firearm across the country, down 13 from 2010. That number has been declining for the past four decades, according to the data.

Meanwhile, some U.S. cities are marking record increases in violence. Chicago — which has an urban population close to Toronto’s — recorded its 500th homicide of the year on Thursday, a stark comparison to the 598 homicides committed in all of Canada last year.

Across North America, politicians, police and the public have long debated the import of gun laws and tougher stances on sentencing.

But most agree that, at a time when city budgets are strapped for cash, the need to address the root causes of crime — such as poverty — remains a top priority.

Some private investors have chipped in following the harrowing summer, including businessman Akanimo Udofia, who donated $150,000 of his own money in November for community projects in Scarborough’s Danzig St. public housing community.